LOCATION SCHRIER OREstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Calcic Pachic Haploxerolls
TYPICAL PEDON: Schrier silt loam. (Colors are for moist soil unless otherwise stated.)
A1--0 to 3 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 6.8); abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 12 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak medium and fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; neutral (pH 7.0); clear smooth boundary.
AB--12 to 20 inches; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); clear smooth boundary.
2Bk1--20 to 26 inches; dark brown (10YR 3/3) loam, brown (10YR 5/3) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many very fine roots; many very fine tubular pores; 5 percent gravel; few white lime flecks and streaks; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary.
2Bk2--26 to 50 inches; brown (10YR 4/3) loam, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; massive; slightly hard and hard, friable and firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common very fine roots in the upper part, few roots in the lower part; 10 percent gravel; strongly effervescent; many white flecks and mycelia of segregated lime; moderately alkaline (pH 8.2); abrupt wavy boundary.
3Cr--50 inches; partially decomposed shale.
TYPE LOCATION: Gilliam County, Oregon; NE1/4 SW1/4 SE1/4 section 30, T.5S., R.24E.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Depth to basalt (lithic) or partially decomposed shale (paralithic) is 40 to more than 60 inches. The mean annual soil temperature is 47 to 52 degrees F. Schrier soils are usually moist but are dry for 60 to 80 consecutive days at depths of 4 to 12 inches in most years during the four-month period following the summer solstice. Depth to soft segregated lime is 10 to 43 inches. The particle-size control section is silt loam or loam in the upper part and loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam in the lower part; it averages 20 to 35 percent clay and 15 to 50 percent coarser than very fine sand. The mollic epipedon is 20 to 40 inches thick. The solum is 20 to 45 inches thick.
The A horizon has value of 2 or 3 moist, 4 or 5 dry and chroma of 1 or 2 moist, 1 to 3 dry to a depth of 20 inches or more; below 20 inches the value ranges to as high as 4 moist and 6 dry and chroma of 2 or 3. It has 0 to 5 percent gravel.
The 2Bk horizon has value of 3 to 5 moist, 4 to 7 dry, and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam, silt loam, clay loam, or silty clay loam. Rock fragments range from 0 to 55 percent of which 0 to 45 percent are gravel and 0 to 10 percent are cobbles. Horizons containing over 35 percent rock fragments are less than 6 inches thick and occur as a discontinuity below the loess mantle. It has 5 to 10 percent calcium carbonate equivalent.
The 2C horizon has value of 4 to 6 moist, 5 to 7 dry and chroma of 2 or 3 moist and dry. It is loam or clay loam with 20 to 30 percent clay. Rock fragments range from 0 to 80 percent of which 0 to 70 percent are gravel and 0 to 25 percent are cobbles. Horizons containing over 35 percent rock fragments occur below a depth of 40 inches.
COMPETING SERIES: This is the Pataha series. Pataha soils are 30 to 40 inches deep to a lithic contact.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: The Schrier soils are on foot slopes and side slopes of structural benches, canyons and hills. Elevations are 1,500 to 4,500 feet. Slopes are 2 to 90 percent. These soils formed in colluvium weathered from basalt and shale and from reworked loess. The climate is characterized by cool wet winters and hot dry summers. The mean annual precipitation is 12 to 18 inches. The mean annual temperature is 45 to 51 degrees F. The mean July temperature is about 67 degrees F., and the mean January temperature is about 30 degrees F. The frost-free period is 100 to 160 days.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Gwin, Rockly, Tub, Cupper and Ritter soils. Gwin and Rockly soils are less than 20 inches to bedrock and are very stony. Cupper soils contain more than 60 percent volcanic ash. Ritter soils have less than 18 percent clay and are noncalcareous. Tub soils have an argillic horizon and are clayey.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; moderate permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: This soil is used dry cropland and livestock grazing. Potential native vegetation is mainly bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, and mountain big sagebrush.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: East-central and northeastern Oregon, MLRA 9, 10. The series is of small extent.
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Portland, Oregon
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Gilliam County, Oregon, 1978.
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic (pachic epipedon) - from the surface to 26 inches
Calcic feature - from 20 to 50 inches
Particle-size control section - from 10 to 40 inches.